


when two ends meet

by cresczent



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Existential Crisis, Hwanwoong is just Tired, Keonhee is also Tired, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25434577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cresczent/pseuds/cresczent
Summary: Hwanwoong is tired and has nowhere to go. Keonhee becomes an unlikely destination.or, alternatively, the subject of the lens meets the one behind it.
Relationships: Lee Keonhee/Yeo Hwanwoong
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	when two ends meet

It hasn't been over for a few minutes but Keonhee feels like he's been waiting for hours. 

He greedily gulps down the remaining water in his flask as if his life depended on it, all while currently slumped in front of the convenience store Yeo Hwanwoong disappeared into, five minutes after his legs have entirely given out on the curb from all the standing and running he had to do to be able to catch up to Hwanwoong's crazy, packed schedules earlier in the day. 

Keonhee didn't even bother to dust off specks of dust that got into his pants after carelessly flopping down on the dirty asphalt or is even slightly concerned about the fact that his unbelievably long legs are close to getting run over by cars on the main road — he had found a spot and he was too exhausted to move, that's enough. 

He tries to catch his breath, hands massaging sore limbs until the aching falls into stiffness. 

Keonhee doubts he'd be able to run away from Hwanwoong if the idol recognizes him from the get-go and has him arrested without spraining his foot in a haste to flee. At this point, he's just glad he has Youngjo on speed-dial instead of Dongju, whom he's a hundred percent sure would hang up before he can even get a word out of his mouth or Geonhak, who wouldn't even bother picking up his calls. 

At least he has Youngjo to bail him out if things go south. 

It was already half-past midnight and Keonhee wishes he's already in deep sleep like the rest of Seoul was instead of waiting for an idol who always thought it was best to sneak a grub at this hour. 

If it was him who had to perform on four music venues, hold a few interviews in-between and interact with people at a fan sign event — he'd be sleeping like a log the moment he finds any surface to lean on or go to a massage parlor to silence his protesting limbs as soon as possible — except he isn't an idol and all he can do to ease his discomfort is try not to attract Hwanwoong's attention by keeling over due to exhaustion.

Keonhee sighs, pulling his legs close to his chest and rests his head over his knees. "Sleeping sounds really good right now," he mutters under his breath. "Or a massage..." He thinks of a few places inside his head where he would rather be than there. 

He absentmindedly scans the area for any open massage parlors around and huffs when he finds nothing of the sort, also a bit creeped out to see most, if not all, stores closed and the area completely devoid of the usual crowd and little to no cars coming from either side of the road. 

He eventually gives up and settles his gaze at the only source of distraction he could find: the blinking neon sign of the tattoo shop from across the street. Keonhee stares at it until his eyes hurt and stars are dancing on his vision every time he blinks just to avoid thinking how strangely desolate the place was. 

But then again, Keonhee is admittedly terrified of almost everything. 

Keonhee swallows the lump building in his throat, turning to look at the glaring light of the convenience store and wonders what is taking the idol so long. 

"Ah... seriously. When is he coming out? He's taking forever in there," he mutters, brows scrunched and foot tapping impatiently on the ground. Another minute not spent going home is burdensome for Keonhee, he could have been on the bus ride home and jump into his awaiting bed. 

Just thinking about it makes his head hurt. 

Whatever Hwanwoong decides to do in his free time (which comes rarely, and by extension affecting Keonhee's) — whether it's sloppily eating ramen or taking leisure trips at the crack of dawn — is supposedly out of anyone's business. But being an idol whose face is plastered on almost every screen and seen at every corner in the country made everyone feel obligated to dote on his every move. 

And fortunately for Keonhee, he is one of the few people who gets paid to basically do the same thing, albeit probably illegal and jeering from an outside perspective. It took Keonhee a wee bit convincing that his rundown apartment needed the money more than he needed his moral compass (which needed a little tweaking to begin with). 

He doesn't even have the time to rethink his life choices, because it's either he's making the extra effort zipping through the streets of Seoul running after Hwanwoong's van or sit on tree branches just to get a sliver of Hwanwoong with his burly and expensive camera in tow to even consider finding another job. 

It also didn't help that Hwanwoong is good at what he does that Keonhee couldn't help but enjoy the different sides of Hwanwoong that he briefly witnesses because of his profession, random trips at convenience stores and midnight trips combined. 

But even then, Keonhee had never gotten used to seeing Hwanwoong do anything remotely humane and out of character off-camera. He is just human too, after all, with a more-secured bank account and overflowing talent coursing through his veins. 

Keonhee hisses in pain when he unconsciously swipes his tongue across the cut on his lip, reminding him of an unfortunate encounter with a few of Hwanwoong's fans earlier at one of the music show venues. 

He huffs petulantly, not even wanting to acknowledge the bruise dully throbbing on his shin or even the fact that it was caused by a bunch of teenage girls with Yeo Hwanwoong merchandise overflowing from their bags. It's not as if cuts and bruises weren't normal in the nature of his job, especially in concerts and events where people start to get crazy and uncontrollable. Keonhee understands, but that does not mean he cannot get mad about it. 

He was about to stretch his arms when he felt something cold hit his cheeks.

Keonhee jumps from his seat and shrieks, scaring a few birds off street lights. His hands automatically grab his bag and put it in front of him, closing his eyes shut and wait for the inevitable to come. 

It was up until he heard someone chuckling at his demise did he lower his guard down, peeking from the edges of his bag only to find _the_ Yeo Hwanwoong towering over him. "For someone who needs to be discreet for a living, you sure are loud," Hwanwoong says matter-of-factly, voice muffled because of the mask he's wearing. "Relax, it's just me."

Keonhee glances behind Hwanwoong to see if there are any indications that he's going to get arrested and completely drops his bag when no danger is present, but rather just the small, admittedly-soft looking idol holding out a couple of soju bottles in his hands that are drowning in the sleeves of an oversized hoodie. 

Hwanwoong follows Keonhee's line of vision and tilts his head, amused. "What?"

His head snaps to turn at Hwanwoong like a thief getting caught-in-the-act, smiling sheepishly. "Nothing."

Instead of the red velvet suit that hugged the idol's figure perfectly and the coiffed lilac hair Keonhee tried not to swoon about earlier, Hwanwoong is comfortably dressed in his hoodie and sweats, hair unkempt and peeking out from his beanie. 

Despite being under any disguises, Keonhee had the thought that he would've been able to recognize Hwanwoong everywhere given that he had memorized each and every feature the idol has from watching him a little too much over the past few months. 

And to say that he didn't like watching Hwanwoong is an obvious lie, even if the chase gets too draining. 

Because it is without a doubt that Hwanwoong is completely mesmerizing on stage, Keonhee doesn't even feel the time running when the idol is performing. He makes the stage and the spotlight his home and have a godly talent for making everyone fall in love on his looks, let alone when he starts showing what he's capable of. It always put Keonhee in a trance that breaks only after when the lights go out. It is almost impossible not to be allured by the one and only Yeo Hwanwoong, and Keonhee is sure that the rest of Korea agrees with him. 

"Uh," Keonhee's thought process breaks when he realizes he'd been staring at Hwanwoong for too long, eyes immediately darting anywhere but on the idol. He had never been in close proximity to Yeo Hwanwoong, as it should always be given the nature of their profession — and so he keeps his distance.

His gaze fleets down to the soju bottles that are currently being pushed towards him repeatedly. Albeit confused and reluctant, Keonhee accepts it after a while.

He ignores the sudden jolt his heart made when the idol sits beside him with their knees almost touching.

From Keonhee's peripheral vision, he can see Hwanwoong adjust his beanie and lower his mask down to his chin, eyes trained to the empty streets before them. Keonhee follows suit, gaze falling down to the same neon sign he has been staring at earlier. "Do you ever wonder," the other starts, fishing Keonhee out of his reverie. "What life would be like if you weren't doing what you're currently doing?" 

Keonhee blinks — once, twice, a few dozens of times — while he's still processing the sudden question. 

To be honest, he didn't know how to respond mainly because he hadn't thought about it before. But apparently Hwanwoong does, if not all the time, as Keonhee briefly catches the deep contemplation and exhaustion swimming in the idol's eyes once he turns to properly look at him. 

Under different, probably not-on-the-curb circumstances, Keonhee wishes he could capture Hwanwoong's raw beauty through his lens as the other glows under the soft light of the moon. 

Hwanwoong hollowly chuckles, twisting the cap off his own soju bottle, shaking his head as if he just said something absurd. "Ah, it's nonsense. Drink up," gesturing at the bottle resting in Keonhee's hands and chugs his own. Keonhee internally cringes as if tasting the strong kick of the alcohol hit the back of his throat. 

However, his stare never wavered from the idol, the gears on his mind running on a thousand different thoughts all at once. His bottle remains unopened, not trusting both of them to get home in one piece if he gets drunk, too. Instead of having something meaningful to say, Keonhee, ever so eloquent, settles on a croaked "What?"

"I've had a long day, Lee Keonhee-ssi," Keonhee fails to mask his surprise when he hears Hwanwoong mention his name, somehow the string of familiar letters he'd been hearing from everyone all his life sounded different under the timbre of the idol's voice. "So please, just accompany me for a while, yeah?" 

Hwanwoong turns to look at him, eyes pleading and just a second closer to spilling tears, making Keonhee immediately shot down the thought of having and grabbing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity out of a slip of vulnerability from Hwanwoong as soon as it arrives.

For some unknown reason, Keonhee wants to engulf Hwanwoong in a hug and wrap him around heaps of blankets to shield the boy from the world but knows he's far from being someone who could do that. Rather than entertaining his absurd thoughts, Keonhee opts for a hopefully comforting smile instead. Hwanwoong takes the gesture as confirmation and drinks again from his own bottle, shyly turning away.

Yeo Hwanwoong is on the verge of breaking down and Keonhee is unsure of what to do.

When Keonhee couldn't take the awkward silence that followed anymore, he turned to Hwanwoong with an attempt to lighten up the mood. "Is this the part where you're going to have me arrested for stalking you? Because I'd totally get it," he blurts out, immediately regretting it when Hwanwoong flinches at his shrill voice. Hwanwoong looks at him, brows raised, even as Keonhee tries to play it cool. 

"It was just a joke."

Hwanwoong immediately lets out a breathy laugh when Keonhee's lips turned to pout because of the idol's lack of response. 

"No offense, but if I had plans on having you arrested you'd be behind bars a few days after you started working. It's really hard not to notice someone like you." Hwanwoong lets out a giggle when Keonhee scoffs, affronted by the once-over the idol has given him. 

"You're like a clumsy giraffe, I can barely hold my laughter in whenever you bump on a lamp post or fall flat on your face trying to get a picture of me or something. You stick out like a sore thumb in the sea of teenage girls, you don't even bring any banners with you. You should, by the way."

Keonhee chokes on air when Hwanwoong turns to look at him, a teasing smile set on his lips. "How can I _not_ notice you, Lee Keonhee-ssi?"

"Shut up," and for a moment, Keonhee sets the thought of Hwanwoong being way out of his league aside and playfully slaps the idol's back as if they're friends. "I'm very good at this, I swear."

"Sure, Keonhee-ssi." Hwanwoong chuckles. "Whatever you say."

"It's not my fault everyone's trying to get a good view of you, too."

And maybe Keonhee really didn't know what the weight his statement held, and how heavy it was that it made something around them snap, breaking the atmosphere faster than Keonhee could even process his words.

Hwanwoong freezes in his place, hands almost dropping his soju bottle while his eyes grow inconsiderably large enough for Keonhee to re-evaluate what he just said. 

"Did I say something wrong?" He asks, tone careful as to not push Hwanwoong into breaking further. 

Keonhee closely watches the idol as his face flickers into different emotions all at once before it settles into the stoic expression he usually sees in Hwanwoong often. Hwanwoong shrugs, trying (but miserably failing) to keep his emotions in check. 

"No. None at all. I was just being silly, that's all."

Keonhee knows that Hwanwoong is lying, he can immediately tell from the way the idol is breathing heavily under his gaze. He understands that while Keonhee is unlikely the first person he'd like to pour all his problems on, it doesn't look like he has other people he could readily count on if he ended up sitting on a curb with someone who follows him for a living. And that in itself is a sad thought. Keonhee feels apologetic. 

He looks back at Hwanwoong who seems to be getting lost in his own thoughts, sinking deeper in it every minute. Keonhee can't help but keep his hand held out for him by answering the smaller's question. 

"Honestly... I haven't had the pleasure of thinking about it. I don't know what I'd be doing if not for this... not to mention that it's also my first job," As he expected, Hwanwoong perks up from Keonhee's voice, seemingly fishes out of his trance. 

"Sometimes I wonder what the fuck am I doing here, climbing trees... running... getting _hit_ by teenage girls..." Hwanwoong laughs softly at this. "But I don't know what else am I good at if not this."

Keonhee smiles slightly after eliciting a reaction from Hwanwoong. "I mean, sure, there are many possibilities in store for me but right now it's all that I have... if that makes sense."

"It makes perfect sense, actually." Hwanwoong hums, leaning back and letting out a long sigh. "This... This is my first job, too."

"I know," Keonhee says, glancing at Hwanwoong whose eyes are staring at the night sky above them. "And you're very good at what you do, Hwanwoong-ssi. I swear. But I feel like I get it now... It's okay to be tired."

Hwanwoong looks at him, genuine gratitude dripping from his expression. Keonhee has to restrain himself from tearing up, the realization finally dawning on him. 

"You don't have to be sorry for feeling tired. It doesn't mean you're being ungrateful," Keonhee continues, looking at the same night sky to stop his tears from falling. "It just means you're human, and we all get tired one point or another. And I'm sure being on everyone's watch takes a huge toll on you, too."

"I'm sorry," Keonhee feels the need to say, might as well come clean in front of Hwanwoong himself. "For making it twice as hard for you."

Hwanwoong stares him down, considering what Keonhee said for a moment, eyes filled with uncertainty and hesitation. Keonhee doesn't know what he'd do either, considering that he's there solely to dig dirt on the idol in the first place. 

Honestly speaking, there is no way in hell he'd have convinced Hwanwoong to spill anything in front of him — and Keonhee sure doesn't trust himself enough either. He was supposed to be neither an ally nor an enemy, but just an onlooker waiting for the perfect moment to add fuel to the fire, even if there wasn't anything burning in the first place. And this, Hwanwoong's sheer moment of vulnerability that is happening right in front of him, is a flicker of fire in what he thought was an already-doused wood.

He understands the internal conflict happening inside Hwanwoong's head right now. And if he was Hwanwoong, he wouldn't readily trust someone who digs dirt for a living.

But Hwanwoong is Hwanwoong, and Keonhee is Keonhee. 

"Are you free... to talk to tonight? You want to take this out somewhere and not where people can easily see us? You might enjoy watching people from behind your camera but things are completely different when you're at the receiving end of it," the idol says after a while, clinking his already half-empty bottle with Keonhee's unopened one. "You can interview me after and I'll provide you with whatever you need. I promise you won't have to go home empty-handed."

Keonhee's moral compass comes back to him unprompted. To be honest, the moment he felt Hwanwoong's pleas for someone to talk to made him throw his underlying motives out the window. 

And while Keonhee really needed more than reporting Hwanwoong's obsession over ramen at midnight, he knows that it's not what Hwanwoong needs at the moment. Hwanwoong, with his protruding lips and flushed face, looks like someone he can easily make friends with. And whether unintentional or not, he's closer than what everyone is to Hwanwoong at that moment. Friend or not.

He nods, firmly going by not walking through the door his past self would have picked. 

"I'm down with keeping you company, Hwanwoong-ssi. But," he taps his watch, smiling at Hwanwoong's confusion. "I'm technically off-duty now. You won't be pestered with anything. I'm not Dispatch Keonhee trying to look for the next hit headline."

Hwanwoong chuckles, nodding to himself. "... And I'm not the idol Yeo Hwanwoong who is always ready to bust a dance move."

Keonhee takes this as a personal victory. "But, should I just call up for another apartment if ever my address gets leaked too in the future?" He adds, brushing dirt off his clothes when he stands up, offering Keonhee with his free hand. Keonhee hauls his bag and his camera over his shoulders and accepts it.

He jokingly scoffs, bumping his shoulders against Hwanwoong. "It's like you don't trust me at all."

And maybe Keonhee is still listening, still watching as Hwanwoong quietly whispers to himself, realization hitting him like a truck. 

"This is the first time I've trusted anyone, ever."


End file.
